National Assembly (Guyana)

06°48′31″N 58°10′00″W / 6.80861°N 58.16667°W / 6.80861; -58.16667

The National Assembly is one of the two components of the Parliament of Guyana. Under Article 51 of the Constitution of Guyana, the Parliament of Guyana consists of the president and the National Assembly. The National Assembly has 65 members elected using the system of proportional representation. Twenty five are elected from the ten geographical constituencies and forty are awarded at the national level on the basis of block votes secured, using the LR-Hare Formula as prescribed by the elections Laws (Amendment) Act 15 of 2000 (Sections 11 and 12).

The National Assembly is presided over by the speaker, who may be elected from the members of the National Assembly or from outside the membership. Speakers elected from outside the membership of the National Assembly do not have an original or casting vote. Where a question put before the National Assembly results in the votes by the members being equally divided and the sitting is presided over by a speaker who does not have an original or casting vote, the constitution stipulates that the question does not pass or carry. The members also elect a deputy speaker from among their membership.